The 26-year-old defender is thrilled to be on the 20-woman roster for the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying event. However her actual focus is enjoying in subsequent 12 months’s event.
BY
John D. Halloran
Posted
October 08, 2014
12:49 PM
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LIKE MANY TRULY GREAT athletes, United States ladies’s nationwide group defender Meghan Klingenberg discovered her biggest motivation in a second of ache. An alternate on the U.S.’s 2012 Olympic squad, Klingenberg was with the group in London, however pressured to observe her mates and colleagues win gold from the sidelines.
For the 26-year-old Pennsylvania native, that bittersweet second was a turning level. Talking with American Soccer Now, Klingenberg mentioned, “It was such a happy moment, but excruciating at the same time.”
“For [the alternates], it was great to see our teammates win gold because we felt like we helped them get there, but it was such a bummer not being able to be a part of it. It was a really big turning point in my career. I felt like ‘I can’t do this again. I don’t want to do this again. I want to be on the team.’ That’s when I made the decision to go abroad and invest in the game.”
Following the Olympics, Klingenberg signed with Swedish membership Tyreso and finally went on to play in a Champions League last. That success would result in extra alternatives with the nationwide group and, this week, after two years of ache and sacrifice, Klingenberg’s arduous work paid off when she was named to the U.S.’s 20-player roster for the upcoming CONCACAF World Cup qualifying event.
The dream of representing the U.S. in a significant event on the worldwide stage has motivated Klingenberg since she was a child, sparked when she first watched a collegiate soccer sport together with her mom.
“[Representing the U.S.] is something I’ve wanted to do since I was little. When I was nine, I watched [a college soccer match] with my mom,” Klingenberg mentioned. “I asked, ‘What’s past college?’ and she showed me the U.S. women’s national team. It’s always been something I’ve wanted to pursue.”
However making the roster for the World Cup qualifiers is not sufficient. The College of North Carolina alum realizes that there’s nonetheless work to be completed.
“This is a step toward my goal of making a World Cup squad,” she mentioned. “I’ve been on the team for a couple years now and I’ve only ever been an alternate at the Olympics—which was a really cool experience. I got to learn a lot of things and be at a big tournament and understand the environment. But I’ve never actually been a part of a [major tournament] roster.”
Since 2012, the U.S. squad has been one in transition. Former coach Pia Sundhage left to teach her native Sweden and the U.S. has since employed and fired one other coach, Tom Sermanni, earlier than bringing in Jill Ellis to information the group to the 2015 World Cup in Canada. The roster has additionally been in flux, particularly within the again.
After the London Olympics, Heather Mitts retired. Amy LePeilbet additionally dropped off the nationwide group’s radar following knee surgical procedure. However two different defensive veterans, Stephanie Cox, who represented the U.S. on the 2011 World Cup, and Rachel Van Hollebeke, who was an everyday starter at each the 2011 World Cup and 2012 Olympics, have been each nonetheless within the operating for spots on the World Cup qualifying roster heading into final month’s video games in opposition to Mexico.
In these video games, Klingenberg took her likelihood. Being one of many standouts for the U.S. in opposition to Mexico helped her parlay these robust performances right into a spot on the roster for World Cup qualifying—even beating out well-known veterans like Cox and Van Hollebeke.
Klingenberg was fast to acknowledge how robust the competitors is for spots on the U.S. squad.
“There were some really great players who did not make the squad,” she mentioned. “I’ve learned so much from playing with them. They’ve been such a big part of the U.S. women’s national team and I’ve loved playing with them.”
On this month’s CONCACAF qualifying event, the U.S. shall be enjoying for one among three slots in subsequent summer season’s World Cup—a seemingly straightforward activity. Canada, the U.S.’s most important rival within the area, does not need to qualify as a result of it is internet hosting the event. And Mexico, the one different group with a practical shot at beating the U.S., misplaced its final two video games to the Individuals by a mixed rating of 12-0.
However Klingenberg is not taking something with no consideration and insists there’s nonetheless loads of work to be completed.
“There’s always challenges. We’ve done well in CONCACAF and hopefully we’ll continue to do well, but there’s always personal challenges, team challenges,” Klingenberg mentioned. “We’re absolutely taking this as seriously as possible. We’re going to challenge ourselves every single game. You can’t take anyone for granted.”
Klingenberg additionally sees the worth in each coaching camp with the U.S. due to the group’s excellent depth. Simply getting by way of a coaching session is usually a appreciable problem.
“On crosses, Abby [Wambach] is one of the hardest people to defend in the world. If you’re talking about 1 v. 1, take your pick. Amy Rodriguez is great, Sydney Leroux is fast, Alex can get in behind you,” Klingenberg mentioned. “Everyone challenges you in a different way.”
Klingenberg’s journey to Europe ended this spring when she got here again to NWSL and the Houston Sprint, however her experiences abroad have continued to pay dividends on the nationwide group. Two of her teammates at Tyreso, Christen Press and Whitney Engen, additionally occur to be her teammates on the U.S. nationwide group.
“When you play with someone that long, you learn their tendencies, what they look for, how they like to play,” Klingenberg mentioned. “I understand Christen’s movement off the ball really well. When she’s in the box and I’m crossing, I know every single time where she’s going to go. The same with Whitney. I know if I’m stepping, she’s going to step in behind. It’s just a comfort factor.”
However pretty much as good as Klingenberg’s journey to Europe was for her worldwide prospects, it wasn’t with out ache. Final spring, Tyreso superior to the Champions League last to face defending champions Wolfsburg. Tyreso took the lead twice within the match, however finally misplaced 4-3. The ache of coming so near a European championship lingers.
“They’re starting tomorrow with the first round of the [2014-15] Champions League. [Whitney, Christen, and I] were just discussing today how much it hurts because we don’t know if we’ll ever be back there again. We came so close and weren’t able to pull it off.”
In the meanwhile, nevertheless, her focus will stay squarely on the U.S. and making the 2015 World Cup squad.
Enjoying within the World Cup “is my ultimate goal in soccer,” she mentioned. “That is what I work for. I like the sport. I like my sport. I like the approach to life and my teammates, however that is my final aim.
“It would be such a fulfilling experience.”
John D. Halloran is an American Soccer Now columnist. Observe him on Twitter.
